Monday, January 07, 2008

A+ Schools calls for the avoidance of a teacher strike

Join A+ Schools in urging the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers to resolve the issues related to the teacher’s contract in a way that avoids a strike and ensures that education our children progresses without interruption.

We expect all parties will do whatever is required to ensure that kids are never used as a bargaining chip, and that all negotiations will be conducted in a way that reflects compassion and commitment to the future of our city’s students.

What you can do:

* Call or email John Tarka, President of the PFT and Mark Roosevelt, Superintendent of PPS to urge them resolve the contract issues without a strike. You can leave a message – it still has an impact.

1. John Tarka: john_tarka@pft400.org or 412 431-5900

2. Mark Roosevelt: mroosevelt1@pghboe.net or 412 622-3600

* Send a letter to the editor of the Post Gazette and Tribune Review– urging both sides to find a resolution to the contract. letters@post-gazette.com and opinion@tribweb.com.

* Send a post card to both leaders! A+ Schools has produced post cards that can be signed and mailed to both leaders. If you would like these post cards please contact us at info@aplusschools.org or 412 258-2660. If you would like to help distribute post cards please let us know that as well.

Let our leaders hear from you!

That is one approach. Another action point -- join our telephone conversation on WEDNESDAY night at 10 pm to talk about schools. We'll talk about this as well.

I didn't hear A+ Schools Board Member Michael Lamb say that he was going to resign from the A+ Board now that he is a city employee who is charged, by the city charter, to do independent audits of the school district.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

A citizen wrote in an email:

I would rather have parents focused on the aspects of school reform and organize around that without zapping energy on "what if" a teacher's strike happens. A strike will be a short lived in the context of school reform and closing great schools.

A+ Schools needs to help the community. Help more with the lingering questions. Help about the "excellence for all" agenda. Help with the unfinished high school reform. Help deliver some of the info and reveiws of what has already happened. Help show the warts of the recent changes and the fixes upon fixes.

A+ Schools and the PPS material is not correct either.

Most of the parents i have talked to are ambivalent about the possibility of a strike and there is a reason why it is not being circulated on the Save Schenley updates.